The Mark of Athena
by kiki96
Summary: Annabeth is finally reunited with her Seaweed Brain when the Argo II finally sets down in Camp Jupiter. With the meeting of Annabeth and Percy brings the meeting of the Romans and Greeks. War games, senate meetings and relationship clashes ensue. The seven demigods then embark on a journey together to complete the next Great Prophecy.
1. Chapter 1

**Annabeth**

Annabeth felt her heart pounding as their gazes locked. Percy's black hair was windswept and messy, and he wore a purple shirt that rippled in the breeze. A praetor's cape was wrapped around his shoulders. In his hand, he carried a shining bronze sword. His eyes were as green as ever, just like she remembered, and filled with something she couldn't recognize. Pain and...recognition? Annabeth started towards him, uncertain.

Then Percy stumbled forward and fell to his knees, his sword sinking into the grass. His face was masked with emotion. It was enough for Annabeth to confirm what she had hoped for. He remembered her, and had missed her just as much as she had missed him.

"Percy-" Her voice broke, and she ran towards him. Her vision was blurred by tears and she moved blindly before tripping-

And fell right into his arms, his familiar warm hug holding her tightly. "Annabeth," He murmured, his voice rough. She said nothing but looked up at him. His black hair was longer and there was a fresh scar on his cheekbone. He was taller and looked older and more powerful.

Annabeth had never seen Percy cry, but now there were tears in his eyes. She realized how hard it must have been for him to lose everything he had for nearly a whole year.

Gently, she touched his face. "Are you okay?" It was the only thing she could ask after eight long months. Still holding her, Percy took a deep breath. "I didn't remember anything, Annabeth. Barely my own name...and yours." Annabeth gave a small smile, the first real one in so long. It was incredible to hear his voice again.

"We're together now," She whispered, then kissed him gently. It was different than any other kiss they had shared before; full of longing and happiness and desperation.

When they broke apart, Percy held her hand as they stood up. "We have so much to catch up on," He said. "It'll take ages to explain everything."

"We have time," She assured him.

"I hope so," Percy replied, his gaze clouding. "It's like we never get a moment to breathe before something else happens."

"I know," Annabeth agreed. "But just for the record, I'm never going to let Hera steal you like that again."

Percy gave her hand a squeeze. "You better," He smiled. Suddenly his gaze was filled with excitement, but he was serious at the same time. "Annabeth, there's somewhere safe we can go when we're older. We could live there in safety and never have to worry about monsters and the gods ever again. It's right here in the Roman camp. We could stay there when we're older." He looked so hopeful and earnest, Annabeth had to smile. "Maybe," She laughed. "If you can actually survive for that long." Percy grinned and pulled her along. "Let me show you to the other side of my family."

The others were looking on awkwardly, but they looked happy for them. Annabeth blushed as Leo winked knowingly at her, and Piper gave her a smile.

"Jason Grace," Percy let go of Annabeth's hand to shake Jason's. "I'm Percy Jackson. Nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you." He was friendly but cautious, with a diplomatic air that Annabeth recognized as his being praetor. He's changed, she thought.

"Percy," Jason returned his smile. "Likewise." Annabeth saw something flickering his eyes. Tension wavered in the air.

Percy shifted uncomfortably. "So, um, they've made me praetor, but you can have your spot back anytime." He looked apologetic. "You look better than me in a bed sheet, anyway."

Leo cracked up, dissolving the tension. "I like this guy!" He stuck out his hand. "I'm Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus."

"Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite." Piper smiled in greeting at Percy.

"Hey," Percy nodded. "These are my friends that went on a quest with me last week. Frank Zhang, son of Mars," He gestured to a buff Asian boy, who smiled timidly. "And Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto." The dark skinned girl who stood close to Frank waved. Annabeth thought that she was looking strangely at Leo, but before she could be sure, Reyna spoke up. The praetor's long black hair fluttered in the wind, and she glanced at Jason with a small smile. "Let's head over and have a meeting. Just us...eight."

Percy took Annabeth's hand. "C'mon, Wise Girl."

The architecture of the Roman camp was a thousand times more intricate than that of Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth looked around in awe as Percy laughed at her expression. She savored the sound of his laughter, something she had missed for so long. It was enough to tear her away from the architecture surrounding her.

She held tightly to his hand as they crossed a grassy hill. They were in the lead, the other demigods not far behind them.

"I've missed you a lot, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth took a deep breath. "You have no idea what I - what we went though when you disappeared. If you ever do that again..." She let her threat dangle in the air.

Percy only smiled and threw his arm over her shoulders. "I'm here now," He said. "And I'm here to stay."

The senate house was colossal, and Annabeth looked around in amazement. If only she had time to study it in detail, but there didn't seem to be much time. As usual.

Reyna settled into one of the large praetor chairs, and Percy followed with hesitation. He tugged at the collar of his praetor's cape, his green eyes unsettled.

"Go ahead, Percy." Jason sat down in the row for the senators, and the rest followed. Annabeth found herself between Leo and Hazel, who gave her a friendly smile.

"Okay, guys," Percy cleared his throat. Annabeth marvelled again at how much he had changed. He seemed more responsible and in control, almost distantly so. That changed when Percy tugged at his praetor's cape and pulled it off. "It's itchy."

Annabeth snorted, and she saw Hazel and Frank roll their eyes. They were clearly used to his antics.

"Uh, anyways," Percy gave a sideways France to Reyna, who looked exasperated. "Let's exchange what we know, or actually, what's happened between the two camps. Jason?" Jason stood, and the stark difference between him and Percy hit Annabeth suddenly. Though Jason was Roman and Percy Greek, they wore shirts from opposite camps. Jason was serious and mindful, whereas Percy was more relaxed and impulsive. She realized that this could cause problems. They were two completely contrasting people.

"So it started off when Piper, Leo and I were attacked by these venti storm spirits..."

Annabeth had already heard about their quest, so she tuned out and took a moment to think things over. Her mind wandered over to Piper and Jason. Piper had shown her concern about Jason earlier on to Annabeth. She had worried about whether he had a girlfriend at the Roman camp. Annabeth had reassured her, promising that Jason was dedicated to Piper alone. But now looking at Reyna and the way she was gazing at Jason as he spoke...Annabeth wasn't so sure.

"...We ended up freeing Hera from her cage, just in time before Gaea could really become too powerful. That was a few months ago. We've been readying the Argo II for today ever since." Hazel and Frank looked surprised, and were eyeing the newcomers with new respect. "We met those Cyclopes, too." Hazel chipped in. "But they were destroyed in the battle from a few days ago."

"They were part of Polybotes' army." Frank informed them.

"Polybuh what?" Piper whispered.

Percy, sitting on the praetor's chair, looked thoughtful. "Polybotes," He corrected. "The giant born to oppose Neptune - uh, Poseidon." He ran his hand through his black hair. "Huh," He mumbled. "No one had it easy these past months. That sounds like it was difficult."

"You got that right," Leo retorted.

"But this dragon masthead..." Percy continued. He looked at Annabeth. "Festus? I'm pretty sure we've seen him before."

Annabeth nodded sadly. "That one summer with Beckendorf and Silena."

Percy looked down, his green eyes filled with sadness. Annabeth wanted to take his hand, but of course she couldn't do that now. Then Percy coughed and looked up. "Well, thanks Jason for telling us what happened with the Greeks." He gave him a respectful nod, and stood as Jason sat back down. "I guess you guys want to know what happened to us, meanwhile." He scratched his head, clearly uncertain where to start.

"Gorgons," Hazel called out. Frank looked embarrassed.

"Oh yeah," Percy gave a half smile. "So I was carrying this old lady across the road, who was actually Juno - Hera in her Roman form, well actually her old lady form - but didn't tell me at the time..."

Annabeth listened intently to Percy, who told them of their quest with occasional bits of added information from Hazel and Frank. The gods had certainly been busy, between Hera and Ares mostly. Or Juno and Mars, Annabeth corrected herself. She frowned when Percy told them about Phineas, the blind seer, and Ella the harpy. Ella's was definitely very valuable, and if she fell in the wrong hands, things could get even worse.

"...defeated Polybotes and his army on the field of Mars." Percy finished. "It's not even close to over, though." He narrowed his eyes. "Nico di Angelo is still missing, and Gaea is waking."

A heavy silence settled over the demigods. They were all locked on their own thoughts until Leo said in a loud voice: "That's great news. On that happy thought, can we get some food? I'm starving." Hazel giggled, and Leo looked pleasantly surprised. Piper rolled her eyes. "Good timing, Repair Boy."

Leo was defensive. "Don't pretend that you're not craving food either, Beauty Queen." They all burst out laughing.

With a smile, Reyna stood. "There will be more time to talk later," She promised. "But now Leo is right. Come join us for dinner and war games tonight!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Jason**

Jason settled down at the table with the others. He would have sat with his old friends, but he figured that right now it was important to stay close with the others. He was particularly interested in talking to Percy Jackson, but the son of Neptune was at the praetor's table with Reyna.

Piper followed his gaze. "Jason-" She began, looking troubled. He turned to her with concern. "What's wrong?"

"I-" She glanced up again at the praetor's table, where Percy and Reyna were talking. "Never mind."

Jason realized what was bothering her. "Are you wondering about Reyna?"

Piper nodded reluctantly, not meeting his gaze.

"Piper," He grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. Jason gazed at the kaleidoscope eyes that had always mesmerized him. "Piper! Don't make any assumptions about her. I don't like her the way I like you. It's not even comparable, not even close, I promise."

Piper hesitated, then smiled softly. "Okay," She said quietly. Jason put his arm around her. He didn't let go of her throughout dinner.

**Hazel**

Sitting between Leo and Frank, Hazel had never felt so confused. The feeling of her and Frank's shoulders touching made her happy, but at the same time she felt irresistibly drawn to Leo.

"Are you okay?" Frank asked her, sweet and caring as ever. "You seem fidgety."

"I'm fine," She assured him. This would be awkward enough once Frank found out what was really happening. After pushing around her shrimp gumbo distractedly, she finally turned to Leo. He was eagerly digging into a taco.

"Hey, Leo." She offered a timid smile.

"Hey," Leo - Sammy - Leo returned her smile with that crazy grin of his. She felt her heart flutter nervously. "Um, so how are you liking the Romans so far?"

"It's a whole lot fancier than Camp Half-Blood, for sure." Leo laughed. "But everyone is so serious here, like Jason is. I prefer the chiller type of company, y'know? I still love Jason, don't get me wrong." He added hastily. "He's definitely a good guy to have around."

Hazel nodded. She was about to reply when Reyna stood. "Tonight, we will greet our newcomers. Let us welcome them with war games! I will be serving as referee-" She glanced at Percy. "But Percy will be joining the games. We'll have an even game; the First and Second Cohorts will defend, while the Third, Fourth and Fifth will attack. Percy will be with the defenders, and Jason, Piper and Leo will join the Fifth Cohort."

"Annabeth's with me," Percy added with a grin.

**Percy**

After he had strapped on his armor and had Annabeth check it for him ("It's crooked, you idiot") Percy gathered in a huddle with his team. He could sense their anticipation of battling Jason and the Greeks. He was eager himself to find out about their fighting skills and power.

The First and Second Cohorts were strong, so Percy wasn't too worried. On the downside, he had Octavian on his team. Great.

"Where should Annabeth and I be?" He asked his team mates. Even though he was praetor, he didn't think that he should be the one giving orders. They had built the fort, after all - they would know the best places to be strategically.

"You're not much of a fighter, right?" Octavian asked condescendingly. Percy tried not to punch him, and his grip on Riptide tightened.

"A fighter too." Annabeth's tone made it clear that she could handle herself. Her grey looked stormily at Octavian.

"Annabeth can come to the front," Someone suggested. "There's water by the bridge, Percy."

"That's where I'll be then," Percy nodded. "Watch out for Frank. When he comes, he won't just be another camper anymore."

"We'll worry about him." Octavian said smugly. "You worry about Jason." His smirk made it clear that he was eager to see the Romans beat the Greeks. Not if I can help it, Percy thought.

The huddle broke, and Percy mussed Annabeth's hair before they split up and he headed down to the bridge.

Keeping guard by the moat, he watched as Reyna gave the sign to start, and all Hades - Pluto, whatever, broke loose.

The attacking cohorts threw themselves at the fort. The defenders quickly retaliated with fireballs and water cannons. The fireballs were aimed only to divert them, not to injure.

Percy watched as Leo and Piper headed up towards the fort. Piper dodged around nimbly and quickly, whereas Leo walked relaxedly, completely care free.

A fireball flew directly towards Leo. To Percy's surprise, Leo only laughed and swiped at the fire with his bare hands. With handfuls of fire, he looked wild and fierce. Flames danced in his hair.

So that's his power, Percy realized. He figured that Tyson and Leo could be good friends, hanging out in fireplaces while everyone else made marshmallows. Turning to Piper, he watched as she stepped up to face a defender. With a sweet smile, she knocked him flat. The camper didn't even try to defend himself.

Charm speaking, Percy remembered. Piper was definitely powerful.

A piercing cry caught his attention. Looking up, Percy saw an agile hawk in the air, scouting their fort. The hawk carried a stick of dynamite, searching for a good place to drop it.

"Look up!" He called back to his teammates. They understood and launched whizzing arrows into the air, forcing Frank to retreat. He still managed to drop the dynamite, though, and it exploded in front of the fort, knocking out some defenders.

Percy could sense something coming. He stepped forward, off the bridge and onto the ground. But the moment he touched the earth, it began rising beneath him.

"What the-" He stumbled and drew Riptide.

"Hey Percy!" Hazel appeared, grinning. "Nice rock."

Percy realized that he was standing on a huge rock - schist, to be exact - thanks to Hazel. She waved and charged up the now undefeated bridge.

"Schist!" Percy leaped off the rock in pursuit of Hazel, holding Riptide.

The moment his feet left the rock, though, a fierce gust of wind blew him back, over the schist and away from the bridge. Percy was sent sprawling onto the ground. "Ow.

"Hey, man." Jason leaned on a golden sword, grinning down at Percy. "How's it going?"

Percy leaped up with a rueful smile. "Not bad." He could sense the water in the moat only a few steps behind him. Drawing strength from it, he raised Riptide. "Let's go!"

He stepped forward, and their blades clashed in a shower of sparks.

They fought hard, and Percy realized that he hadn't faced such an even mortal opponent since Luke. Lightning flickered around them, and strong winds buffeted the air. Percy knew that he needed to use the water to defeat Jason. He stepped back, drawing Jason forwards. Jason was strong, and Percy felt his whole body jump as he was zapped by a tendril of electricity.

He managed to untangle his sword and hit Jason on the side with the flat of his blade, giving him enough time to step back into the water.

Immediately, new strength surged up into his limbs. Riptide felt lighter and more comfortable in his hand. Percy summoned up a giant wave behind him, and as Jason came after him, sent it crashing down. "Heads up!"

Percy felt the coolness of the water part around him. For a moment, all he could see was the surreal seascape of the wave. Then it cleared and Percy was left looking at a surprised and soaking wet Jason.

Percy grinned, taking advantage of Jason's shock, and brought Riptide down hard Jason's blade. Jason's sword clattered out of his hand, like Percy expected, but instead of it falling to the ground, it spun around Jason and back into his hand.

"Nice try." Percy realized that Jason had brewed his own personal tornado around himself, offering a sort of protection and boundary. Vapor, strong winds and lightning danced around him.

Two can play at that, Percy thought. Concentrating, he brought up as much water as he could from the moat. It swirled up and behind him in a massive funnel.

While continuing to block Jason's strikes, Percy focused on the water. He willed it to encircle him like a giant hurricane. Soon, both he and Jason were locked in their own storms. Percy's spewed jets of water and spray towards Jason.

"Ready?" He challenged.

"Bring it." Jason replied.

They moved forwards and their storms collided.

In the middle of the clash of storms, Percy and Jason fought harder than ever. Percy was on the defensive, blocking Jason's blows. It gave him good opportunities to feint from his position and deliver an unexpected blow.

Before long, their whirlwinds died down as their energy ran low. Percy was aware of the other campers stopping their own fights to watch him and Jason.

Percy saw a chance and took it. Using the disarming move that Luke had taught him so many years ago, he wrestled with Jason's blade-

But with incredible deftness, Jason managed to hold on to his sword and retaliate. Percy dodged a blow to his side and slammed Riptide forward-

Their blades locked at the hilt. Percy met Jason's eyes, and they both understood. Now was the ultimate test in strength.

They each strained to free their blade, but they were so evenly matched that neither could move an inch.

Percy concentrated on his strength and his sword that he knew so well. Suddenly, Riptide slipped slightly up Jason's sword.

Yes, Percy thought. Just a little more...

"Stop!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Frank**

Reyna landed lightly beside the two fighting demigods on Skippy, her praetor's cape whipping in the wind. Frank looked on, stunned, at Percy and Jason. They broke apart, lowering their swords. There didn't seem to be any hostility between the two, but...wow. That had been an incredibly intense battle.

Percy stumbled back, wiping his forehead and capping Riptide. Jason rubbed his arm as he slipped his coin back into his pocket. "Who won?" He asked, sounding cautious.

"Between the two of you? That's hard to say...it was very close." Reyna sounded hesitant.

"I think it was Jason," Leo said from beside Frank. "I mean, did you see that lightning?" Frank, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. Percy seemed to have been gaining when their swords were locked at the hilt.

He didn't say anything, though. Leo intimidated him. A fire user? Just thinking about it and seeing the flames flicker through Leo's fingers made want Frank to grab his stub of wood and run for his life – literally.

"In any case, that was a fair game." Reyna continued. "Because Hazel managed to capture the emblems of the First and Second cohorts, victory belongs to Jason's side!" Frank thought that he detected pride in Reyna's voice when she said Jason's name. Cheering erupted, and Percy stepped forward to shake Jason's hand. His eyes were friendly and bright. "Good game," He said. "You fight well."

"You too," Jason replied.

**Annabeth**

Annabeth was walking with Percy back to the Argo II. "We'll sleep here tonight, to make things easier for now."

"Alright," Percy agreed. They stopped at the rope ladder, and Annabeth looked up at him. He looked tired, and Annabeth expected him to be from his fight with Jason. It had been one of the closest fights she'd ever seen.

She touched the dark circles under his eyes. "Go get some rest," Annabeth told him. "I'll see you tomorrow." She felt some reluctance in saying goodbye to him, even if it was just for a night. After his kidnapping, she didn't want to let him out of her sight.

"Good night." Percy kissed her gently, and he tasted like salt water and the sea.

"Good night, Seaweed Brain."

**Piper**

Piper, Leo and Jason boarded the ship before Annabeth, giving her a moment with Percy. As they headed across the boat to their rooms, Leo was exclaiming over the battle.

"That Percy guy had some serious moves. Like that giant wave? Awesome!"

Piper smiled. She had found herself completely mesmerized by the fight between the two. "It was really close," She piped in.**  
**"He's a tough fighter," Jason admitted. "No wonder they elected him as praetor. Reyna probably wanted him as her partner, rather than Octavian."

Reyna. There it was again. Every time Piper so much as thought of her, she wanted to pull out her dagger. Jason had made it clear to Piper that he preferred her over Reyna. But had he made it clear to Reyna herself?

"Hey, Piper!" She realized that she had been about to go into her room without saying goodnight to her friends.

Jason came closer and wrapped his arms around her. "'Night, Piper."

"Good night," She whispered back.

Leo gagged. "C'mon guys, get a room!"

**Leo**

Leo lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Just his luck. All the good ones were taken. He might not have been good at math, but he knew that seven did not divide evenly.

But if Jason went with Reyna, Piper would be free...so? Not like he could ever date her. It would be like dating his sister...gross. And Percy and Annabeth, on the other hand, were inseparable.

Even that chubby faced Asian guy had a girlfriend! Hazel...Leo flipped onto his side. She was seriously something. Had Leo been imagining it, or had he caught her looking at him? What was she doing? She had a boyfriend, for Hephaestus' sake!

"So not fair," Leo mumbled as he fell asleep.

**Jason**

"Ah, welcome, praetors!" Terminus greeted them, his stone face cracking into a smile. Then it morphed into confusion.

"Praetor Jason? And Percy Jackson...which of you is praetor?" Terminus looked at both of them questioningly.

Jason glanced at Percy, who shrugged. "We're going to decide that now in the senate house."

"Hmph!" Terminus sniffed "Well, it should be Jackson, considering he defeated Polybotes in the camp not a week ago-"

"See you, Terminus!" Percy sounded embarrassed as he turned away quickly after dropping Riptide into the tray that Julia held.

"Hey, Julia," Jason greeted the little girl. She smiled as he dropped his golden coin onto the tray.

Jason followed Percy into the senate house. Their fight yesterday had been difficult – Jason had fought hard to keep up. He had a bruise on his side to show for it.

As the senators and others settled down, Reyna sat on her praetor's chair, but Percy made no move to follow. Jason and Percy stood awkwardly with the remaining chair between them.

"Uh, let's deal with this now." Percy suggested. He was a bit taller than Jason, and his green eyes were unsettling.

"Sure," Jason replied. He turned to Reyna questioningly. She nodded and stood.

"Romans, we must decide first who we will elect as our praetor, now that Jason has returned."

"Jason!" His name was shouted out immediately by several. Jason felt a warm feeling his chest – it was good to hear support again after so much confusion.

On the other hand, others looked less certain. There was muttering, and tension crackled in the air. Voices rose as arguments broke out.**  
**"Wait, wait." Percy raised his hand, and the room fell silent. "This is unnecessary. I don't even want to be praetor – I never did. Jason, you can have your spot back." He took off the cape and offered it to Jason.

Jason hesitated, but Percy seemed firm. "Thanks," He said, surprised. Jason wasn't sure if he could have given up his position so easily.

Percy only nodded and stepped down to sit with Annabeth and the others. Jason sat in the praetor's chair with a smile at Reyna. It was good to be back.

She touched his arm, and his feelings immediately changed to discomfort. "Can we talk later?" She asked.

"Uh, okay." He answered uncertainly. She smiled and turned back to the rest of the senate house.

"Now...Romans! We must discuss the prophecy and the quest. Who will be going and what will be happening?"

Octavian stood. "Isn't it obvious? All we need are seven demigods to complete it. The question is, who? Can we trust these Greeks?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Percy stood, his distaste for Octavian clear. There was snickering in the senate house, and Octavian sat down, flustered. "The Greeks have not caused any harm towards the Romans. Hazel, Frank, Piper, Leo, Jason, Annabeth and I are the seven demigods."

Reyna shifted. "Annabeth?" She directed her attention to the daughter of Athena."I know that you're Percy's girlfriend, but besides that...who are you? What do you have to do with this?" There was no menace or offence in her tone, but genuine curiosity.

Annabeth glanced at Percy before standing. "There is another prophecy," She said, lifting her chin. "Some of you may have heard of it. The mark of Athena."


	4. Chapter 4

**Jason**

After nearly an entire afternoon in the senate house, it was finally decided. Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, Percy and Jason would be leaving in a few days time on the Argo II.

Jason sighed. It was tiring work to keep everything in order between the two camps. The campers and senators soon filed out, leaving Jason alone with Reyna. He saw Piper's face as she left, looking uncertain. I'll talk to her afterwards, he promised himself. Jason felt nervous as Reyna turned towards him, and tapped his fingers restlessly against the armrest.

"I've missed you, Jason." Reyna looked at him in the eyes. "I had Percy Jackson take your place in camp, but now that you're back...I know you much better than him, and besides, he has Annabeth. He reminded me of you a lot, though. Both warriors and natural leaders."

Jason listened quietly before replying. "Look, Reyna, as praetors we were -are - very close. I missed you too; we're good friends."

Reyna looked confused, and said slowly: "Well, of course."

"But...that's all we will be. That's all there will ever be between us, at least for now. I have Piper, and she means a lot to me. I don't want to ruin things between me and her."

Reyna's face fell, and her dark hair swept over her face. She stood slowly, and as she began to walk out of the senate house she turned back. "Between Piper and I, one of us will always be ruined. But...I wish you two the best of luck and happiness." Reyna turned and left, leaving Jason alone.

**Percy**

Percy's dreams were still disjointed and scary, even though he had prayed for just one good night's sleep before the quest. Not like that could ever happen.

Gaea's sleepy face emerged in his mind. My brave little pawn, she murmured, your decision will come soon, and this time it will have only one outcome - your friends, or the world? You can only choose one. No matter what you choose, you will suffer.

Then to Percy's horror, her eyes opened. The hate and death on her eyes paralyzed him, and he dreamed that he was falling into the earth, to drown in the mud.

Percy started awake in his bed, his heart pounding and gasping for breath, like he had actually been drowning. His body trembled and he shivered. Glancing at his clock, he saw that it was four in the morning.

"Great," He groaned, knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. Changing quickly, he silently left the bunk so as not to wake his cohort.

Finding a spot in the grass, he sat by the water, waiting for the sunrise. He hoped that his dream wasn't true...Gaea couldn't be awake already, could she? She was still slumbering, but getting closer to waking everyday. If she was already awake, they would certainly know. The Earth would be in utter chaos.

When the first rays of sunlight lit up the camp, Percy noticed a rainbow off the surface of the lake. An idea flashed through him suddenly.

He didn't have a drachma or any denarii, so he hoped that the goddess he was praying to was listening.

"Hey, Iris, it's Percy Jackson. That wheat germ drink you gave me was great, it really helped." He tried not to sound grossed out. "So, um, thanks. I hope you're doing well. I was wondering now if you could send a message for me to my mom? Sally Jackson? She lives in New York, with Paul Blofis." He tried to keep his voice steady when he said their names.

He waited for a few moments, but nothing seemed to happen. Percy sighed. He longed to see his mom after so long. She must be going out of her mind. He could almost hear her voice and the words she would scream.

"-Percy Jackson if you ever do that again I will never let you out of the house again, because who knows where you'll end up-"

He smiled at the memory of her voice. It sounded so close...suddenly he saw his mom's face in the mist. "Mom!"

"How could you not tell anyone? Not Annabeth or Chiron or even your father – Percy, do you know how long eight months is?"

"Mom," Percy's throat tightened as he stared at her. He missed her so much. She looked the same, with maybe a few more worry lines on her gentle face. She was wearing her bathrobe, and judging by the spilled coffee on her sleeve, he had completely startled her.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't-" He stopped as his voice finally gave out. He wanted to hide his tears from her, but at the same time he couldn't stop looking at her face that he had missed so much.

His mom stopped talking and stared at him, as if she'd just seen him. Her gaze softened.

"Percy, honey. You don't know what you put us through-" A few tears fell down her face. "I thought I had lost you."

Percy took a deep breath. "I'm okay, mom. Annabeth is here with me now, and we're safe." He decided now wasn't a good time to mention Gaea and the giants. "I've missed you a lot."

His mom gazed at him. She raised a hand as if she wanted to stroke his hair, and Percy raised his own hand to touch hers. Then he remembered that she was only an image in the mist. The image flickered, and Percy knew that his time for the free message was up.

"I want to talk to you, but I have to go." He couldn't keep the sadness out of his voice.

"I love you, Percy. Be safe!" She looked at him imploringly as the image began to fade.

He didn't comment on what she said about being safe. "Love you too, Mom."

**Hazel**

Hazel woke early, before the rest of her cohort. She decided to get up and walk around since it was nice out. Anyway now that she was alone and relaxed, she probably wouldn't raise some more cursed metals from the earth - probably.

She was surprised when she saw that Percy was up and in the dinner pavilion. It was still very early in the morning; the sun had just risen.

Percy was sitting at a table by himself, not eating but looking over the camp where the ocean and sky met. Sort of like Jason meeting Percy, Hazel thought. The two of them meeting was similar to what she had thought of Percy and Nico meeting; two bombs just waiting to explode.

"Hey," Hazel walked over and sat across from him.

Percy jumped. "Oh, hey Hazel. What's up?"

"You okay?" She asked. Percy looked tired, like he hadn't slept well.

"Yeah," He rubbed his eyes. "How are you? I haven't talked to you properly in a while. It's been so busy lately."

Hazel murmured agreement. She'd seen Jason and Percy running around constantly, talking to everyone in camp. No wonder Percy looked tired.

"Okay," She said finally. "I'm worried about Nico."

Percy's gaze hardened. "We'll find him," He promised. "And when we do, I'm going to punch him for pretending not to know me when I lost my memory."

Hazel giggled despite her anxiety. "He was pretty nervous when you guys first met."

"So how's Frank?" Percy asked. Hazel rolled her eyes at Percy's teasing expression. "He's good," She told him. "But.."

Percy knew her well enough to know that something was wrong. "What is it?"

Hazel bit her lip. "Sammy." She said finally. "Leo. Whatever. I know that they're the same two people, or at least they have something in common."

Percy frowned, looking dubious. "Are you sure? There's a pretty big time gap between them."

Hazel nodded. "I know. This sort of thing...it only happens to us demigods."

Percy sighed. "You're right about that. Maybe there is something about those two...I'll help you find out, if you want."

"Really?" Hazel was surprised. She would usually turn to Frank for help, but that would be kind of awkward in this case. She had also thought that Percy had enough on his mind without the Sammy/Leo confusion.

"Sure," He said. "You're my friend, aren't you? We went through a lot with Frank on the quest." Percy laughed. "Like how you rescued us from the Amazons with your awesome underground jewelry powers."

Hazel laughed out loud. "Thanks, Percy." She was glad to have a friend like him.


	5. Chapter 5

** Leo**

Leo was checking on the supplies of the ship and making sure it was ready for the long journey. He was adjusting the settings for power usage when Jason came up and waved. "Hey, Leo."

Leo leaned back against the railing. "Hey, my almighty man. You're a legend." He hadn't spoken to Jason one on one in a while because things had been so busy.

Jason laughed. "Romans talk a lot."

"Let me see. You fought a Titan and led the world to victory. Not bad." Leo said it jokingly, but he really was awed. If he had known earlier that Jason was a hero...

It was similar to what he thought of Percy Jackson. The guy had defeated so many infamous monsters and protected Manhattan from Kronos' invasion. There were rumours that he'd fought gods and Titans, too. Plus, he had the curse of Achilles or whatever? Iron skin. Leo was definitely impressed.

He had been half expecting someone self confident and bossy, but Percy was totally different. He seemed easy going and pretty funny. Watching him and Jason fight, Leo had been completely uncertain about the outcome. He had been rooting for Jason, though.

"Uh, anyways, when do you think we can leave? Remember, we're going to Camp Half-Blood before we head to Europe, so you can fuel up there, too." Jason said.

"Probably tomorrow," Leo replied. "We're pretty much good to go."

"Great," Jason responded. "I'll go tell the others." Leo watched as Jason leaped off the ship and headed towards the others.

Leo had separate rooms for all of them, but he still couldn't help feeling a trace of doubt. Would they really all get along? The Argo II was big compared to other ships for sure, but not big enough so that the demigods could avoid each other. If a fight happened, it would be in the cramped quarters of the ship. And if the fights were going to be of Percy/Jason quality...well then, they'd probably need to have a spare ship handy.

**Frank**

It was the day of their planned departure to Camp Half-Blood, and Frank held Hazel's hand as they walked up to the Argo II. He couldn't help but be awed by it; a lounge, kitchen, gaming room, separate bedrooms, and a big space at the front of the ship.

Hazel looked kind of queasy walking onto the ship, but Frank squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We'll be in the air," He told her. "So you won't feel sick." She smiled in return, but still her golden eyes looked uneasy.

All seven of them stood at the railing, waving goodbye to Camp Jupiter. Reyna was at the front, waving and smiling in farewell. Octavian stood beside her, looking like someone had forced him to eat a lemon. Still, he waved goodbye along with the others.

Frank felt a tightening in his chest as he said goodbye to what had been his home for the past few months. _I'll be back,_he promised himself. _I'll see this place again._

Jason looked sort of down to be leaving his home again, but his arm was slung over Piper's shoulders. They looked like they belonged together.

Then the Argo II began to slowly and smoothly rise into the air. Frank could hear cheering from the campers and the distant screaming of Terminus in the background.

"Relax, Terminus!" Percy yelled over the railing. Hazel and Frank stifled their laughter. "You can yell at us some more when we get back."

Frank and Hazel followed the others to the bow of the ship, where they held a quick meeting. Jason, Leo and Percy were discussing how the handling of the ship would be dealt with.

"Well, all three of us can manage the Argo, so I guess we'll just rotate?" Leo suggested. Jason nodded agreement, but Percy looked hesitant.

"I don't know..." He looked pale. "I don't really fly. Zeus kind of has a thing against me in the sky. He likes to blast me out of it."

"I don't think we'll be in the air the entire time," Leo said. "You can guide the Argo II when we're on water."

Percy nodded. "That sounds good." Excitement crossed his features and he moved impatiently. "I'm going home!"

**Percy**

Leo, at the bow, yelled back that they were within viewing range of Camp Half-Blood. Eagerness to see his old home flooded through Percy, and he gazed over the railing. He had missed the smell of the strawberry fields baking in the sun, the sounds of the satyrs' songs and seeing all his friends. He wouldn't even mind seeing Clarisse right now, even though she would probably try and beat him to a pulp.

They flew into a group of clouds, and Percy tried to look through the misty white impatiently. When it cleared, he looked down, and a warm feeling filled his chest. Annabeth slipped her hand into his.

Camp Half-Blood looked the same as ever. Peleus the dragon, looking thicker and stronger than before, was guarding the Golden Fleece that glittered on the branches of Thalia's tree. Percy saw the familiar arrangement of the cabins, and saw with happiness his old Poseidon cabin, low and grey like a bunker. Campers wearing orange t-shirts and beaded necklaces were running around the camp, gathering at the lake. Percy saw with delight a tall centaur standing amidst them, a sheath of arrows slung over his shoulder.

The Argo II was descending directly onto the lake, and Percy was trying to stay in place. He drummed his fingers against the ship restlessly. Annabeth rolled her eyes at his fidgeting. "Calm down, Percy. We'll be down in a few minutes."

"But I could just jump over the edge right now-"

Annabeth laughed. "And leave us all behind? Just wait, Seaweed Brain."

Percy sighed, but he knew she was right. They had to look like a team, and they couldn't really do that if he was jumping off before them.

Painstakingly slow, the Argo II set down on the lake gently. Leo patted Festus, and Jason and Piper looked happy to be back as well. Percy recalled that this had been their home for a few months, too. Only Hazel and Frank looked a little out of place, and Percy knew how they felt. When he had first set foot in Camp Jupiter, every nerve in his body had screamed at him that it was enemy territory.

"It's okay, guys." Percy told them. "You're with friends. And Greeks are way more friendly than Romans, just letting you know."

With that, he jumped off the side of the ship, still holding Annabeth's hand. She shrieked as they fell into the water, but Percy kept them dry and dragged her up to land.

"Percy!" His old friends bounded up to them, and Percy felt a final burst of happiness and homecoming.

Travis and Connor Stoll grinned at him. "Wait till you see what we did to your bunker."

"Hey, punk." Clarisse punched him hard in the arm. "Miss me?"

There were a lot of new faces looking at him, eyes wide, but before Percy could say anything someone tackled him and sent him flying backwards.

"Perrrrcy!" Grover bleated as he hugged him. "I'm so glad that I made that empathy link with you."

"Hey, G-man!" Percy grinned. "Good to see you." Grover looked the same, with his furry hindquarters and horns sticking out of his hair. Rachel Elizabeth Dare appeared beside him, and she hugged Percy fiercely. "I've missed you, Percy! Next time you do that, you better tell me so I can freak out everyone else with the green smoke and prophecy." Percy laughed as he was converged by his friends.

But there was someone that he wanted to see the most, and the campers parted before him so that he could talk to him.

"Chiron," Percy said with a smile. He had missed the old centaur; his teacher and good friend.

"Percy, my boy." Chiron trotted forward with a warm smile. His eyes were bright with relief and welcoming. "It's good to see you alive and whole."

"It's good to be alive and whole," Percy replied. He was about to say more, but then a familiar paunchy figure appeared. He carried a vine of ripe red grapes, and was holding a set of cards in the other hand.

"If it isn't Peter Johnson," Dionysus said sarcastically. "Well, welcome back, I suppose. And you've brought back more demigods? Splendid, Jackson, now I get to have more brats in my camp."

"Mr. D," Percy nodded with a grin. Some things clearly hadn't changed at all.


End file.
